Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, left, is worried that the provisions were not enough to fully secure the border.

Written by

Alan Gomez
| USA Today

Senators debated everything from the economic impact of immigrants on U.S. workers to the biblical teachings on immigration during a daylong, tear-filled hearing Monday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee heard from 23 witnesses during the deepest look yet at an 844-page proposal from a bipartisan group of senators, known as the Gang of Eight, to overhaul the nation's immigration laws. The bill would allow the nation's 11 million unauthorized immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship, tighten border security and completely revamp the nation's legal immigration system.